Worms and Compost Storytime

So, our library's outdoor area has a serious problem with rotting apples come fall. This year I decided to do something about it and let all the kids join me in the process. I got really lucky on this one because as I started to puzzle over how to compost the apples, I realized that our library actually already owned a very nice little compost bin that was not in use from an old project. On another note of good fortune, my husband has been growing worms in our house (this really isn't as gross as it sounds) since the spring. So, between the bin, the worms, and some mulch; the kids and I were really able to get this thing going. I had some mulch already in the composter so that they could start adding apples, then cover the apples in more mulch, then we looked at the worms and dumped them in to compost bin as well. The worm part was super exciting for me and the older kids. The mulch part was super exciting for the toddler crowd. Being able to get the kids actively involved at the end was AWESOME, but I also think you could do this Storytime inside, in the middle of winter, with no compost and it would still be fun and educational. Here is the outline of what we did at the Storytime. We skipped Apples and Bananas at the end because we had so much other compost and worm work to do, but if I hadn't had the project planned for afterwards, I think it would have been a good fit. Credits for songs can be found within the linked google docs.

I. Welcome and Opening Spiel
II. Good Morning Song
III. We Clap and Say Hello
IV. Open, Shut Them
V. Spell Theme Word: W-O-R-M-S or C-O-M-P-O-S-T (since we will be doing a “W” for worm craft, I used “worms” as the word to spell for more repetition)
VI. Book: Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser (this one is so great for a wider age range than you would guess; make sure to have the kids stretch out and squeeze in to move like worms)
VII. Song or Action Rhyme: I’m a Little Wiggle Worm (whenever we do a teapot tune song, we always start out with one verse of I’m a Little Teapot first, then do the new version 2 x)
VIII. Song or Action Rhyme: Herman the Worm
IX. Book: Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals
X. Song or Action Rhyme: Apples & Bananas (We’re going to sing the classic song, but say “compost” instead of “eat”. Also, I always hold up a larger letter magnet for each of the vowels to give kids a visual aid.)
XI. Jumping ABCs (exactly what it sounds like, we jump our ABCs)
XIII. Explain Craft: Letter W worms
XIV. Goodbye Song

Butterflies

Even though I had just done a butterfly-themed Storytime last summer, I decided to do one again because 2 of our Storytime friends shared that they were hosting monarch chrysalises (had to look that plural up) at their homes. Here is the Storytime plan I used.

Butterfly Storytime:

I. Welcome and Opening Spiel 

II. Good Morning Song

III. We Clap and Sing Hello

IV. Open, Shut Them

V. Spell Theme Word: B-U-T-T-E-R-F-L-Y with large magnetic letters

VI. Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

VII. Song or Action Rhyme: Butterfly Action Rhyme

VIII. Song or Action Rhyme: 2 Little Butterflies

IX. Book: Butterfly by Petr Horacek

X. Song or Action Rhyme: SCARVES! Flutter, Flutter, Butterfly, We Wave our Scarves Together, Silly Hat Song, Jack in a Box, London Bridge is Falling Down 

XI. Jumping ABCs (just what it sounds like we jump our ABCs)

XII. Explain Craft: Butterflies with sequins taped to craft sticks

XIII. Goodbye Song

How it Went: Well, thank goodness for scarves! This Storytime ended up skewing very young, so it was actually quite difficult to even make it through The Very Hungry Caterpillar. That being said, the action rhymes actually went over pretty well too and everyone loved the pop up butterfly at the end of Petr Horacek's book. Finally, while I would have chosen a less challenging/more appropriate craft if I had guessed that the average age of my audience would be 12 months, the preschoolers who were in attendance LOVED making the sequined butterflies and many of them actually made two. We are outside right now for our Storytime, but luckily we have some wonderful outdoor blocks which I now get out with the craft so that the tiniest friends also have something fun to do while everyone hangs out and socializes during craft time.

The 3 Little Pigs

Here is a somewhat abbreviated tale of the 3 Little Pigs performed with stuffed animals and props:

I did this Storytime in preparation for our Fairy Tale Storywalk®* at Drift Farmstead (a unique opportunity to walk alongside real pigs and the 3 Little Pigs at the same time!):

We will have at least one more Fairy Tale Storywalk® this summer--a wooded walk with Little Red Riding Hood. We will also share many more fairy tales, twisted fairy tales, and folk tales right here on this blog as well as in our parents, caregivers and volunteers Facebook group.

Join in the fun!

*The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration the Kellogg Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

Little Red Riding Hood

Here is my very first blog post! Today I did what I think was my very best virtual Storytime yet. And even better, it was a Fairy Tale Storytime without a book, so I can share it here without any potential violation of copyrights.

I always do one Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes Storytime each month in real (not Coronavirus) life. I almost always tell the story using puppets or the felt board. This allows me to make the stories a little less scary if need be, add in more diverse characters in some cases, and even occassionally make the story less sexist (for instance my Princess and the Pea gives the Princess a ninja-like sensitivity to her environment rather than a delicateness).

After the fairy tale is over we get out our Nursery Rhyme Cube. This is just a small cardboard box transformed into a die with a picture of a different nursery rhyme on each side. I got this idea from another Youth Librarian at a conference last summer (thank you!). The kids love it. Sometimes every one gets one roll and sometimes we go around twice just depending on how many children are at my Storytime.

Sometimes the Nursery Rhyme Cube is the end of Storytime, but if the kids seem to have a little more listening energy left, then we read a book based on a Nursery Rhymeor a classic poem or something similar. Some of my favorite examples of such books are:


Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone




Little Robin Red Breast by Shari Halpern



The Owl and the Pussy Cat by Edward Lear, illustrated by Anne Mortimer